Elizabeth Bae ’06

Elizabeth spoke of her Fairfield experience at a recent Meet Up in Boston.

Two favorite memories of Fairfield

The first warm spring weekend of every year and living at the beach.

Who was an important influence on you at Fairfield?

My parents, because what they taught me growing up came together at Fairfield.

What were your involvements at Fairfield?

I wrote for the Fairfield Mirror and spent a semester abroad in Florence, Italy.

Tell us a bit about how your Fairfield connections have helped you in your professional life

I graduated from law school in 2009, at the height of the recession and in an extremely depressed job market. After months of applying to jobs and receiving no responses whatsoever, in what I thought would be a shot in the dark, I went onto Linkedin and contacted Fairfield alumni who were attorneys in Massachusetts. These alumni were not actively seeking candidates for any positions, but all of them responded to me. Alumni of all different years offered to speak with me, meet with me for informational interviews, and pass on any opportunities to me. After one of these Fairfield contacts forwarded a job posting they received, I started my career as an attorney.

After traveling extensively during my first legal job, I was ready to make a change. I was on one of many multi-city trips and hadn’t been home in days when I received a fortuitous voice mail from Hope Ogletree, a major gifts officer at Fairfield who had come across my name from an attendee list of a previous Boston Briefcase Breakfast. She made a critical connection between myself and a 1981 alumnus that resulted in my current employment.

What did you learn at Fairfield that you take with you today, both personally and professionally?

Fairfield taught me how to be open-minded, resilient, self-reliant, and grounded. I learned how to be a better person, which makes me a better professional. Fairfield helped me get my foot in the door at my current job, and the skills I learned at Fairfield have allowed me to be successful there.

Why are you proud to be a Fairfield alumna?

Because I received an outstanding and enlightening education, formed close friendships, and had an incredible amount of fun.

How would you suggest your peers and friends get more connected with the University?

Join the Online Community! And go to events when you can. Balancing time between professional and personal lives is always a challenge, but a few hours at a Fairfield event keeps you connected to the school, lets you see old friends, and introduces you to alumni of other years as well.